The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1887-05-05
The lost Heirlcsn.

A singular story comes from an up
town fiat going to prove the futility of
circumstantial evidence. A well-knOwn
gentleman has apartments in desir-
able locality. He has means sufficient
to crafty luxurious tastes and jog
along life's road comfortably. His
domestic habit is to partially dress in
the morning and open the windows of
his sleeping rooms for ventilation,
while he sips his Mocha and reads his
paper in another apartment. Mean
while the attendant comes and s'makes
up" his dressing room for the day.
One in whom he had the greatest
confidence recently left his service to
better her condition. Her departure
was SO sudden that in the emergency
the vacancy was filled without ordi-
nary consideration as to the applicants S
qualifications or recommendations. Un-
fortunately, her personal appearance
was not calculated to impress her en-
ployer favorably, and he instinctively
distrusted her from the day she came.
The other morning he received a
most violent shock, which for brief
period threatened grief to the new
chambermaid. While the gentleman
was indulging in his early siesta the
thought flashed across his mind that
he had left diamond collar-button
lying on his dressing-case, and that
the sinister-looking maid would be
! tempted to appropriate it if in pecula-
tive mood. just then he heard her
enter the bedroom to do her mornings s
work. His first impulse was to rush in
and snatch temptation from her view,
but on second thought he made up his
mind to put her to the test. He said
to himself: .'If her evil genius prompts
the girl to take the precious article,
which prize as an heirloom, it will go
hard with her. Nobody else can have
stolen it but her, if it is missing, and
! there will be no trouble recovering the
property and proving her the thief by
circumstantial evidence" The maid
seemed unusually slow in making up
the room, and the time dragged heavily
on her employers mind. All things
have an ending, and in due course the
: girl finished her work and went out,
signaling her departure by slamming
/
minutes lest she should return, and
then, concluding that she would not,
he leaped to his feet and bolted for the
bedroom.
Was the diamond collar-button gone?
No. But the sight that met the owners
gaze brought him to sudden halt.
AS he reached the threshold frighten-
ed monkey skipped nimbly off the
dressing-case with the collar-button,
and sprang to the window-sill, evident
ly the way by which the grimacing lit
tie thief had entered. He gave one
glance at the human occupant of the
room, and disappeared down the side
of the building in the manner and with
the speed peculiar to its kind. The
! gentleman pursued as far as he. could
| go. and called vainly to the monkey to
come back with the priceless button.
The sparkling diamond apparently had
a fascination for the four-legged thief,
and like a shrewd robber, it caught his
eye when he climbed into the room,
and he grabbed it without looking for
other treasures on the premises.
1t turned out afterward that the
monkey was pet of one of the neigh
bors. 1t was caught after long chase,
but the diamond collar-button has not
been found yet. There is suspicion
that the thief swallowed it, or put it
in pawn as sneaks are given to doing
when they want to get rid of their
Doodle. Not even the pawn ticket can
be found and the monkey stands a
good chance of being kidnapped and cut
+! wide open. The gentleman who mourns
the loss of his heirloom has more faith
| in human nature now than he had be-
fore this experience, and often says he
wishes the sinister-looking chamber
maid had taken the diamond when
she had the chance.-NeW York Times.